# Engineer my menu using item sales and contribution margin

Sorts every menu item into stars, plowhorses, puzzles, and dogs, with specific actions for each and the next menu.

- Topic: Data & Analysis
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Sales, Finance, Analyze, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/engineer-my-menu-using-item-sales-and-contribution-margin

## Prompt

```text
Run a menu engineering analysis on my menu.

**Period covered:** [e.g. last 8 weeks]
**Menu category to analyze:** [e.g. mains only - analyze one category at a time]
**Item data (paste a table):** [ITEM, MENU PRICE, PLATE COST, NUMBER SOLD]
**Current menu layout notes:** [where items sit on the page, any boxes, photos, or callouts]
**Constraints:** [e.g. signature dish we must keep, kitchen station capacity]

Method:
1. For each item calculate contribution margin (price minus plate cost), total margin, and menu mix %.
2. Popularity threshold: an item is "high popularity" if its mix % is at least 70% of an equal share (0.7 x 1/number of items). Profitability threshold: the weighted average contribution margin for the category.
3. Classify each item: Star (high/high), Plowhorse (popular, low margin), Puzzle (profitable, unpopular), Dog (low/low).
4. Recommend actions by class: protect and feature Stars; re-cost, re-portion, or nudge price on Plowhorses; reposition, rename, or have servers recommend Puzzles; replace or rework Dogs unless they serve a strategic purpose I named.

Return:
- A table: item, CM, mix %, class, recommended action.
- The 5 changes with the biggest likely profit impact, with the estimated weekly margin effect, showing the math and assumptions.
- Menu layout advice: placement, descriptions, and removing currency signs or price columns that invite price comparison.
- Items to watch in the next period. Do not fill in missing data; list what you need instead.
```

## What to fill in

- e.g. last 8 weeks
- e.g. mains only - analyze one category at a time
- ITEM, MENU PRICE, PLATE COST, NUMBER SOLD
- where items sit on the page, any boxes, photos, or callouts
- e.g. signature dish we must keep, kitchen station capacity

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.